Postoperative lung function changes in the elderly followed the similar trend as in patients with pulmonary dysfunction. The mean postoperative decrease in FEV 1 was 14.16% in the elderly, compared with a 29.23% decrease in patients with normal lung function ( P < 0.05). However, the operative morbidity in the elderly group was significantly lower than in patients with pulmonary dysfunction (23.3% vs. 60%).7